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Carmakers failing citizens on filters

January 11, 2014

The health of millions of European citizens is being put at risk by carmakers’ failure to put cheap particle filters on new direct-injection petrol engines. The new engines are more fuel-efficient and emit much less carbon dioxide than traditional petrol engines, but T&E-commissioned testing shows they typically emit around 1,000 times more harmful particles, which cause cancer and pose other threats to human health.

They also emit 10 times more than new diesel engines. For years diesel engines were associated with much higher levels of particles than petrol. T&E clean cars programme manager Greg Archer said: ‘Direct-injection petrol engines would be a great innovation if they didn’t emit harmful particles, yet these particles can be eliminated without any loss of fuel-efficiency for around €50 per vehicle, the price of a hands-free kit. It’s time for carmakers to become more responsible and fit these filters as standard.’ Under EU law, such filters are obligatory for diesel engines but not for petrol engines.

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